


Liar

by ScriptrixDraconum



Series: Steel and Roses [6]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bad Flirting, Confessions, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Flirting, Honesty, Past Relationship(s), Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 21:45:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3585183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScriptrixDraconum/pseuds/ScriptrixDraconum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Esmé Cousland admits to seeing Alistair naked the night before, and Alistair, ever the comedian, tries to make the most out of an embarrassing situation. Zevran then makes a point about Esmé putting her past behind her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Liar

“Sooo,” I heard Alistair lull before he sat next to me by the campfire. Dawn’s light did not yet show, but I couldn’t sleep anyway, and had begun to cook some breakfast. “About last night…,” he continued.

I cleared my throat, and stoked the fire. “I heard Potato found you bathing. Sorry about that. I’ll make sure he stays with me from now on.”

A short silence screamed between my remark and Alistair’s response. “I know you were there, Esmé. I saw your lantern light fly away. Unless of course Potato has fairies or wisps following him around the forest, now.”

Groaning, I hid behind my hands. “I’m sorry. I heard….” I lifted my head, but avoided looking at Alistair. “I heard noises, and thought that maybe someone was having trouble with something. Potato knew someone was there and wouldn’t let up. His interested caused mine. I’m sorry.”

Alistair shifted on the felled log. I retained my avoidance of eye contact. “It’s…,” he sighed, finding his words. “On the road, in camp, people see and hear things. It’s bound to happen, I suppose. I’ve seen Oghren naked more times than I care to acknowledge. I just… eh…. Perhaps Potato needs to learn some boundaries. Not that I’m angry or anything, I just… being _watched_ ….”

“He’s been punished,” I replied in earnest, still avoiding the fact that I knew he had been thinking about me while pleasuring himself. “He’ll stay away from those sounds from now on.”

“Oh, will he?”

“Yes. He follows my orders.” Usually.

“Alright.” The sound of the crackling fire and sizzling meat was all that filled our ears until an unfortunately-phrased question dropped. “So, Potato liked what he heard, then? Piqued his interest?”

My stomach did a backflip. I knew what Alistair was asking, and I was unsure of how to answer. My better judgment told me to go with honesty, but my stubborn side wanted me to skirt around the real issue. The _issue_ being I had heard him moan _my_ name, and that I liked what I saw enough to keep me awake all night with feelings of guilt, not just towards Alistair but also towards my Gilmore. My very possibly lost-to-the-civil-war Gilmore.

My face was burning, and not just from the proximity of the campfire. My ears in particular were likely beet red. I closed my eyes, screaming internally, completely unsure of how to act, what to say. I wondered if Alistair was smirking now, or if his expression was completely serious. Either one would have been equally unnerving, and I continued to look down my stoking stick.

“Well,” I began, “he certainly heard something that made him bark.”

Alistair made a ponderous noise. “I wonder how many sounds or words exist that make him want to bark. I don’t recall uttering anything like ‘rabbit’… or ‘marrow bone’.”

I sighed, and answered softly, feeling utterly defeated and downright disgusted with myself. “I don’t know, Alistair.”

“Mph, what a shame. And here I thought Potato and I were going to get to know each other a little better. Ah well.” I heard him stand. “If Potato needs me, I will be in my tent a little while longer. Tell him he’s free to come by for a chat.” Then, in his usual cheeky tone, Alistair left me with a rather curious comment. “Who knows, maybe I have a marrow bone sitting around somewhere.”

Alistair walked away, and I ate my breakfast.

The day’s journey was entirely without event. Not even a butterfly crossed our path. Chatter amongst the party was normal, except for the deafening silence between myself and Alistair. After we stopped for lunch and headed out again, Zevran decided to take it upon himself to play the meddler.

“I hear that Grey Wardens have almost unending stamina,” the Antivan commented. “Have you found this to be true?”

“What?” I asked, confused by the non-sequitur.

“You should experiment. I would offer myself, but… you know that your fellow Warden desires you, yes?” Zevran, always blunt and forthright, stated the obvious.

“Yes, Zev, I gathered that.” I listened to the crunch of dirt and twigs beneath our feet as we walked. “Has he… talked to you about it?”

“No. There was no need. I’m _pretty_ sure that everyone knows. The man does nothing to hide his feelings. I hope he doesn’t play cards for money, often.”

“Is there a point to this conversation?”

“I suppose I and everyone else are curious to know if you feel for him the same desire. We _also_ know about your lover from the north. I’m considering taking wagers on whether or not you’ll see him again.”

“Zev!”

“Just joking! Mostly. I suppose my point is this – you had a lover. How wonderful. He was most likely captured by this Howe character and his men, who supposedly killed your sister-in-law and nephew. Now, tell me, just how likely is it that this man of yours is alive and well and searching Ferelden for you as we speak? Is it not more likely that he is not searching for anything, anymore?”

“Maker save me…. Zev, _please_ , stop!” Voice raised, everyone in the party stopped to stare. I grumbled, and continued walking.

Potato promptly growled at the elf, who quickly backed off and let me alone.


End file.
